Summer is the most popular time of the year to move but did you know today (June 30) is the busiest moving day of the year? Moving can be a stressful event because you’re uprooting your entire life from one location to another but it doesn’t have to be if you’re strategic with your approach. I am pleased to partner with Kijiji to share my top 5 decluttering tips to help you KonMari your way to a stress-free move and live a joyful clutter-free life.

1. Before you start, envision your ideal lifestyle at your new home

This is the single most important step you need to take before you start decluttering. Marie Kondo says the question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. You need to ask yourself what is your ideal lifestyle? how do you want to live? and what will bring you the most joy? Having a clear vision of your ideal life will help you clarify which items to keep, how they fit into your ideal life and how they will support you to live the life you want to live once you finish.

2. Does it Spark Joy?

People often hang onto an item when they have an attachment to the past or a fear for the future. The only criteria you should consider when choosing what to keep is to focus on the present, hold the item in your hand, ask yourself if it sparks joy for you, and listen to your heart. When you do this truthfully, you will be left with only the items that bring you the most joy and the items that will support you to live the life you want. Asking this question repeatedly throughout the process will help you hone your sensitivity to joy and your decision-making skills. You’ll soon find yourself applying that knowledge to every aspect of your life to live more joyfully.

3. Your home is a living space, not a storage space

Once you decide an item no longer sparks joy, sell it or give it a second life. This can easily be done by selling in the second-hand economy. With 16-million Canadian monthly users, it’s no surprise that Kijiji is consistently the #1 channel for buying and selling second-hand. According to their 2018 Second-Hand Economy Index Report, Canadians gave second life to 2.3 billion items in 2017 and nearly all Alberta residents (99.7%!) participated in the second-hand economy in some way last year.

4. Sort by category, not by room

When you are decluttering and organizing, follow these 5 KonMari categories in the following order: Clothing, Books, Paper, Komono (includes all miscellaneous items grouped into subcategories) and Sentimental Items. Start by gathering everything from the category in one spot. When you work by category, you can move on to the next only after you have finished the previous. This is a great way for you to take inventory to see how much you have as people often don’t realize the volume of their possessions until they see it all together. If a category is too big, you can create subcategories. Furniture, clothing and entertainment items are the top categories of most exchanged items in second-hand economy. If you decide to sell an item, give yourself a deadline so the items are gone before your moving date.

5. Don’t Wait! Start now

You don’t need to wait until you’re moving to start this process. Everyone can benefit from clutter-free living even without a move in the near future. Starting early will also give you more time to manage the items you want to sell or donate. Did you know Canadians earned an average of $1,134 from selling items they no longer need last year? It’s also much more sustainable and better for the environment when you participate in second-hand economy versus buying new. Start by reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and reset your life. It really is a life-changing method to simply your life and live more joyfully. Also check out secondhandeconomy.kijiji.ca and check out how to make the second-hand economy work for you.

If you haven't packed away your holiday items yet, now is the time to do it! I was on CTV Morning Live to share some organizational tips earlier today. Here is the segment if you missed it and I hope you find these tips helpful in your home.

1. Before you Start

Before you start, check your storage to see if there are any other holiday items you didn't use this year. Be honest and ask yourself, does it still spark joy for you? If it doesn't, it's time to thank the item since it has fulfilled its purposes and let it go so it can spark joy for someone else.

2. Just because you used it doesn't mean it sparks joy

Don't automatically put everything that is out on display back in storage. Just because you used it this year, doesn't mean you love it. Ask yourself if each item sparks joy for you and if you're looking forward to use it again next year.

3. Storing bags inside other bags

The best way to store gift bags are inside other gift bags. I like this method because it's easy and simple. Everything is together and easy to find when you need it.

4. Fold Your Tissue Paper

Tissue paper can take up a lot of room when it's not properly folded - That's why they're used to fill the space inside gift bags and boxes! If you want to maximize your storage space, fold it and store them all together so it's easy to access when you need it. You can even store them with your gift bags!

5. Use What You Have

There are so many organizational products designed specifically for holiday items but it's not a one size fits all solution. I find the best organizational items to use are shoe boxes. I use them everywhere!

6. Reuse and repurpose

When it comes to protecting fragile ornaments, you can reuse and repurpose things you already have. Egg cartons are great for smaller ornaments. You can also create compartments in your storage boxes using cardboard. Reuse bubble wrap or bubble envelopes you receive in packages for an extra protective layer.

7. Keep christmas Lights Untangled

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to untangle Christmas lights. Save yourself the headache and easily keep your Christmas lights untangled by wrapping it around a piece of cardboard. I fold my cardboard to create a tube to wrap my Christmas lights around and tape the two ends in the middle of the tube so it's easy to unravel next year.

8. Fix And Repair Now

If you noticed a Christmas light bulb needs replacing or a holiday item needs repair; replace and repair it before storing it for next year. Your future self will thank you.

9. Garment Bags for Wrapping Paper Storage

Wrapping paper are generally hard to store. They can flop all over the place and aren't uniform in size. A great way to store them is putting them upright inside garment bags. This way you can hang them in your closet and it doesn't take up more room than a coat.

10. Don't Stockpile

it can be tempting to stockpile more holiday items at the end of the season when everything goes on clearance. Resist the temptation and don't let the price decide your purchase. You won't need those items for a year and your taste might change by then.